Two Chances
by shadowluminus
Summary: The first time when he fell for her, the Romans came. What he didn't realize was that there would be a second time, a second chance, even if he doesn't remember her. Because apparently, the Fates believes in second chances.
1. Prologue

**Two Chances**

 **Prologue**

It was a nice spring day, the sky blue and clear of any clouds, Apollo's bright sun chariot casting a warm light that lured the newly grown grass to poke farther out of the soil.

Sadly, Hermes was unable to enjoy this wonderful day. He was too busy. The amount to packages he has to deliver… the mere thought made him shudder. Then, there are the two hundred more messages and letters, plus another 30 more people waiting for him.

So there he was, zipping back and forth, all around the place, in his winged sandals. This was one of the most tiring and busy days the young god had experienced.

Finally, at about an hour before sunset, Hermes delivered his last message of the day. Flying slowly back to Olympus, taking his time, knowing the Mist would make him invisible or look like some kind of bird, he saw a young girl around the age of twelve wobbling as she tried to carry a heavy bucket filled with cold water from the well.

This girl was different; even from this height, Hermes could see that. She was fair, unlike most of the other Greek girls, who were dark-haired. Her hair was like gold, bronze, and fire weaved together, a mixture of golden blonde, brownish orange and fiery red, spilling down her back to her waist. Her skin was the color of honey and milk, and as Hermes swooped down a bit, he could see that her big eyes were always changing colors, from purple to blue to brown.

Currently, her face was red with strain and her cheeks were puffed up as she struggled to pick up the bucket without spilling half the water inside.

Just out of the goodness of his heart, Hermes decided to help. He changed his physical appearance to look about the same age as her and he touched down some distance away behind a tree so she wouldn't see him appearing.

"Do you need help?" Hermes asked, causing the girl to jump and drop the bucket, causing some of the water to slosh out.

The girl pursed her lips and turned around, forcing a smile onto her face, making her look strained and extremely annoyed.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice pleasant enough.

"My name is… err… Deacon! Yeah, it's Deacon," Hermes said nervously, solely regretting deciding to come down here. He had only chosen that name because it had meant 'messenger', and that was basically exactly what he was.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "You don't sound so sure."

"I'm very sure!" Hermes nodded a bit too eagerly. "My name is Deacon!"

The girl's eyes were still narrowed but she told him, "Since you wanted to help, come on. Let's get this bucket back to the house before my mother's temperature gets too high."

"Is your mother sick?" Hermes asked as he hurried over and they hauled the bucket up and trudged slowly back to the stone-and-wood cottage not far from the well.

"Why should I tell you? You're a stranger."

"Well, I told you my name, so I'm no longer a stranger."

"That doesn't matter."

"It's doesn't?"

"No," the girl looked at him with an annoyed expression as they reached the front door of the cottage. They entered into a cozy room. But before Hermes could look around, the girl dragged him and the bucket over to another, smaller room.

This room was very warm, with the windows shut tight and a fire crackling at the hearth. There was a large bed in one corner of the room and on the bed was a pale, sickly woman, a damp towel on her forehead, her face beaded with sweat as she took deep, heavy breaths, like she's struggling to breathe. Which she probably was.

"That's a bad looking fever," Hermes commented as the girl took the towel from the woman's forehead and dipped it into the bucket before wringing out most of the water and replacing it onto the woman's forehead.

"She's been like this since 3 days ago," the girl murmured, wiping some of the sweat on the woman's face with the towel.

"Why don't you find a healer or something?"

"We don't have the money. Not yet, anyways. Father should be back from his trip in a week or so, but before that, I can't do anything about it," the girl glanced sadly at the woman, who must be her mother.

"Have you prayed to the gods?"

"Of course I have! Every single one of them, even Aphrodite, though I'm not sure how she could help with my mother getting better."

After that, the two of them were silent. Then, Hermes walked up to the girl's mother and touched her cheek gently. It was burning hot. He prayed to (or told) Apollo to heal this woman before he turned and walked away, out of the hot, stuffy room.

"I should be going," Hermes told the girl, looking into the distance at the setting sun.

"Yeah, you should," she agreed. "It's getting late. Do you live far from here?"

He shook his head. "No, not really." That was a lie, but since he could just teleport there or fly back to Olympus, it couldn't really be considered far away.

"Why haven't I seen you before then?" the girl asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure," Hermes replied uneasily. "Well, then, goodbye." And he began walking away.

"Wait!" the girl suddenly called. When Hermes turned around and looked at her questioningly, she blushed lightly and said, "Thank you for, you know, helping me. It was nice meeting you."

Hermes grinned and waved. "It was nice meeting you too, Miss… Oh, that reminds me, what's your name?"

The girl suddenly ran forward and handed Hermes a small bag. It was filled with small cakes and other snacks. "Thanks," she said again, "and my name is Alina. Alina Bronte."


	2. A Loaf of Bread

**I**

The second time Hermes saw her she was on a tree, her skinny legs dangling from the branch she was perched on.

Once again, Hermes flew down to some secluded area before appearing in the form of a twelve year old. "Hi!"

"Hello," the girl replied, not looking down at him. She was gazing into the distance, looking like she's in a trance.

"How's your mother?"

This time, she looked down. "My mother had gotten much better, thank you."

"Well, that's good."

Carefully, Alina climbed down from the tree and stood in front of Hermes. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Hi," she finally said and averted her gaze. "So… what are you doing here?"

Hermes grinned. "Well, last time I came, you gave me some food. I was wondering if I could get more." This was only the half-truth; or one-thirds of the truth. Actually, he came here because one, he wanted to; and second, he wanted to see if Apollo had actually healed Alina's mother.

Alina laughed. "Here, I'll get you some."

They entered the small stone and wood cottage and were almost overwhelmed by the smells of baking goods. Alina got an array of breads from the shelves lining the kitchen walls and put them in a large bowl, then placed them on the table.

"Is your house a bakery?" Hermes asked, his mouth filled with cake.

"No," replied Alina, nibbling on a small piece of bread, "I just like to bake."

When Hermes had downed about half of all the things she had baked (he IS a messenger who was running, or flying, around for the past few hours; he's bound to be tired and hungry), Alina began washing the dishes. After a while of watching, Hermes went over and began to help her. She seemed surprised at first, but slowly relaxed.

"Why are you here?" Alina asked again. Hermes replied with a shrug.

"Don't you have your own chores to do?" Hermes froze in the middle of drying a porcelain bowl.

"Deacon?" Alina asked uncertainly when she saw Hermes's frantic and shocked expression.

"OH MY GODS!" the young god suddenly shouted, causing the girl to jump. "I completely forgot!"

Fumbling for his sack of messages and deliveries, he pulled out his list of messages and other stuff he still has to deliver. And almost fainted at the amount. He slumped down onto a large rock and stared at the list.

"Oh gods," he moaned, "I'm so dead. If my father doesn't kill me, my siblings will. If my siblings don't kill me, my uncles will. If my uncles don't kill me, my aunts will. If my aunts don't kill me… well, somebody will!"

Alina was looking at him strangely. "Um… are you okay?"

"No…" he sighed tiredly. "I'm going to die."

"Well, I've heard," she replied sourly. Then, in a nicer tone, she said, "I can help you if you want."

"No it's fine," Hermes waved dismissively.

"No, I insist. You helped me before-,"

"And you gave me your cakes and breads so don't worry, I'll be fine." Hermes stood up and brushed himself off.

"Well, how about I say that I want to help?" Alina crossed her arms and stared at Hermes defiantly.

"Then you'll get me into even more trouble," he answered.

"But how can you get into even more trouble if no one finds out about it?"

"Because my father always finds out in the end. Always, no matter what. It's like he has superpowers or something!" _Because he does; he's the god of the skies,_ Hermes added silently.

Alina sighed, finally giving in. "Fine. But if you die painfully, it's not my fault."

Hermes grimaced. "Don't worry. I brought that upon myself."

"I distracted you," Alina pointed out.

"You didn't know that I still have my job."

The girl pushed him. "What are we arguing for? Go do your chores, you idiot!"

"Right," Hermes took off running. But just before he disappeared in the woods, he turned and waved. Alina waved back. Then, he vanished into the forest.

 **δύο** **ευκαιρίες**

This time, Hermes actually finished his 'chores' before going to visit Alina. At first, he couldn't see her, which confused him, but then he found her in the backyard, milking a cow.

"Can I drink some?" Hermes asked as he approached her, gesturing at the pail of milk.

"Absolutely not," she replied, sounding amused. "Seriously, how big is your stomach?"

"Olympic-sized."

"You little liar."

Alina stood up and wiped her hands on a rag, then hauled the pail of milk into the house. When she emerged again, she was holding a bowl of breads. The two of them sat on the large rock and chatted, watching the slow sunset.

"So…" Alina chewed on a loaf of bread thoughtfully, "tell me about your family."

"Huh?" Hermes didn't really expect that one.

"Your family, idiot." Alina seemed to like to call Hermes 'stupid' and 'idiot'. For most mortals, they would've been blasted to pieces already, but Alina was a friend. She cheered him up.

"Right," Hermes gulped down a bite of pastry. "My family is extremely complicated. My father had many affairs with other women and so brought a bunch of children back to his home to his real wife."

Alina raised an eyebrow. "She must be really angry."

"She is," he agreed. "Almost killed a few of those women in her rage."

Alina laughed, her voice sounding like the sweet chimes of bells. "You're kidding."

"No." Hermes's expression was completely serious. "My stepmother is murderous. Extremely scary, that woman is."

"Stepmother?" Alina cocked her head to one side. "You mean your mother was one of the people that your father had affairs with?"

"Um… Yeah."

She grinned. "Your stepmother must really hate you."

"But I'm useful," Hermes wriggled his eyebrows. "I do my job. She can't really try to kick me out the house since that will just make her life harder."

"You make her sound like an evil witch or something!"

 _Oh, she is,_ Hermes thought, but instead, for the safety of everybody, especially himself, he said, "Eh, she's not that bad."

They continued chatting…

Under the almost-setting sun, Alina's hair looked like its woven from pure gold, the bronze seems dark red and the red looks like streaks of fire. Her skin had turned golden and her eyes had turned a bluish, brownish green, looking like the stream near her house which they call the 'Jade River' because the seaweed in the water gives it a greenish tinge.

For a moment, there was silence. Even the birds seemed to stop singing and the crickets stopped chirping. And then, the silence was broken by the sound of clattering hooves and carriage wheels, their axles squeaking as they turned.

Alina jumped up, her eyes wide with excitement. "Come on, Deacon!"

"What?" Hermes chased after her to the front of the house where a carriage stopped. A man stepped out, one of the scariest looking mortals Hermes had ever seen. This man was large and muscular, barely fitting in the carriage, no doubt, and had a strict expression on his face. He has balding, copper red hair and brown eyes that glared coldly at basically everything.

However, despite his terrifying appearance, Alina ran towards him with her arms outstretched. "Father!"

The scowl on the man's face suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a wide grin. "Alina, my little Golden Princess!" he shouted, swinging her around.

A movement behind Hermes caused him to turn.

A woman came out of the house, and immediately, Hermes recognized her as Alina's mother. She was beautiful, with golden hair streaked with bronze, a young, petite face, and dark blue eyes. It was hard to believe she was on the verge of dying a week or two ago because of a fever when she looked so healthy right now.

"Caitlin!" the big man, Alina's father put down his daughter and pulled the woman into a hug, kissing her on both cheeks. "I missed you!"

"Of course you did," Alina's mother, Caitlin, replied, smiling.

And then, the two adults noticed Hermes, standing just behind Alina. Their smiles froze and slipped off their faces and their eyes turned cold. "Who are you?" they asked simultaneously.

Now, Hermes had seen his share of scary things. Zeus had been mad at him before, Hera had been mad at him before, the whole Olympian council had been mad at him before, he had been to the Underworld, and Aphrodite had given him a makeover before (because of a dare), but being glared down by two, overprotective parents currently seem scarier than all of these. So Hermes just stood there stupidly, unable to speak.

However, Alina seems completely unaffected by her parents' sudden change of personality. Either that or she hasn't noticed it yet.

"This is Deacon!" she said, taking Hermes's hand and making him wave. "I met him about two weeks ago. He helped me carry a bucket of water to mother's room. He helped you heal!" she added brightly to her mother. Her parents' expressions softened, much to Hermes's relief.

"Did he now?" Alina's mother sounded amused.

"No-," Hermes was about to say when Alina cut him off.

"I prayed to every deity there is, but none of them healed mother. Then, he came and prayed for her, and the very next day, she began getting better!"

"It's nothing really," Hermes spoke up. "I just prayed to Apollo, since he's the god of healing, basically. That's all."

Alina shrugged. "But it worked, so you helped."

Mrs. Bronte smiled. "Well, then, children, let's go inside to talk. Your father is very tired from his journey." And she led everyone into the wood and stone cottage.

As usual, the inside of the house smells like a bakery and the shelves were lined with breads and cakes. Alina and her mother began cooking placing foods onto the table while Mr. Bronte and Hermes sat down, Hermes a little more cautiously, as if he's afraid there would be a sharp pin on the stool.

"So," Alina's father said, looking at Hermes, "tell me about yourself."

"Huh?" _Okay, not a very good first impression_ , Hermes mentally sighed, then said, "Well, I have a lot of siblings, most of them older than me, and most of them you wouldn't want to meet."

"I mean you," Mr. Bronte gestured at him. "What do you like, what are you good at, stuff like that."

"Oh. Um, well, I'm mainly like a messenger, you could say. I'm the one running back and forth between the fractures of my family delivering things. That's why I'm fast, and busy, and usually very tired."

 _'Well, that's basically the truth,'_ he thought.

"And hungry," Alina added. Hermes scowled at her, though she didn't see him since her back was turned.

"I can see why your parents named you 'Deacon'," Alina's father mused. "It's means 'messenger', after all. What is your full name?"

Hermes gulped. "Um… full name… Deacon Methodius?" He had just randomly chosen a surname. It basically means 'companion traveler'.

"You don't sound so sure." Alina's father raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry," Alina piped up. "He's usually like that, not sure about anything."

Once again, Hermes scowled at her back.

"Right." Mr. Bronte nodded slowly. There was a moment of awkward silence as Alina's parents looked thoughtful and Hermes fidgeted, wishing that he had left earlier and thinking how Zeus is going to kill him if he spent too much time here.

Suddenly, a grin broke out on Alina's father's face. "So, young Deacon, when are you going to marry my daughter?"

"What?" Hermes spluttered.

"Father!" Alina whined, turning red. "It's not going to happen. We're the same age. When I turn fourteen, I'll be married off to some thirty year old man, wouldn't I?"

"Not necessarily," Alina's mother pointed out. "I was sixteen when I married Nicholas, and he was only twenty-four!"

"Still!" Alina said. "Eight years older!"

"Whoa, people, calm down!" Alina's father exclaimed. "I was joking, okay?"

Hermes breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, just ever so slightly. This conversation was getting awkward. He glanced out of the window. It was getting dark. Eagerly to leave, Hermes said, "Mr. Bronte, Mrs. Bronte, it is getting dark. I have to leave."

The Bronte family glanced out at the window as well. "Right," Alina cheerfully passed him a small bag of baked goods and the four of them went outside to send Hermes off, which was really nice of them.

"One last thing," Alina's dad said, his large figure casting a shadow over all the others, "don't you dare hurt my daughter in any way, or else I'll… be mad at you, and you won't like that."

Compared to Zeus's threats of using him as target practice, this threat was extremely lame. But even so, Hermes nodded, pretended to be scared and said, "Wouldn't dream of it."

Alina laughed. "Don't mind him, Deacon. Hurry home before night completely falls, will you?"

Then, just before Hermes turned away, Alina kissed his cheek lightly. "Don't get lost," she murmured playfully, while her parents cooed. Hermes turned red, feeling both shocked and flustered. _Is that girl crazy? Right in front of her parents?!_

"Are you sure that was right?" Alina's mother asked teasingly. "You only met two weeks ago!"

"And you're only twelve!" Alina's father added cheerfully.

Alina just smiled and pushed Hermes gently. "You better go." Then, she handed him a lantern (which he didn't need, of course) and pushed him again.

Hermes nodded. "Goodbye," he waved at the family of three before turning around and disappearing into the shadows of the forest.


	3. Rome

**Sorry for not update for a pretty long time, but I'm having finals right now. But then, I just got so mad at Math, so... here's the newest chapter! Please review!**

 **II**

Two years had passed since Hermes had met Alina. He visited her once or twice a week, three times if he was really lucky, though he usually wasn't. As usual, they were sitting on the big rock, eating breads and cakes as they chatted about… a lot of stuff.

Suddenly, Alina jumped up, pulling Hermes up with her. "Come on!" she said before taking off running, her white _chiton_ flowing out behind her. Hermes wondered what she was up to this time before taking off after her.

He caught up with her easily, and for the rest of the way, they ran side by side through the forest, leaping over holes and splashing through streams, ignoring the mud, still wet from the rain of the day before, that was dirtying their feet.

Alina finally slowed down and they arrived at a clearing with a small stream cutting through it, flowers banking the clear water.

It was a truly nice place. The grass was green and soft, the sunlight only slightly obscured by the canopy of leaves of the trees around them. The flowers bloomed prettily and the sound of the trickling stream filled the air, accompanied by the singing of birds and rustles of leaves when the wind blows past.

Alina walked forward and sat down on the riverbank, or stream-bank, and dipped her feet in the water. Hermes mirrored her actions, sitting down next to her.

They fell into a comfortable silence, Hermes glancing at Alina from the corner of his eye.

In two years, Alina had changed a lot, both physically and behavior-wise.

Physically, she had grown even more beautiful. Her hair had turned into an even darker gold and the fiery red of her hair had intensified to a coppery red. She had become slightly tanner, and also taller, though still shorter than Hermes, who continuously changed his age to match hers.

Behavior-wise, she had become slightly quieter, wiser, and sadder, sometimes making Hermes wish the old, cheerful, oblivious Alina could come back. Obviously, she didn't.

She had also become much gentler and lady-like, though a part of her playful, slightly boyish demeanor still remained.

Alina sighed, still staring at the trickling stream. "Deacon," she said quietly, just loud enough for Hermes to hear, "I'm fourteen."

"I know, though you sure don't look it," he joked, trying to raise the spirits a little.

She didn't even crack a smile. "Soon I'm going to be married off, Deacon," she whispered, raising her gaze to stare at the passing clouds. "And then… I might never be able to see you again."

Hermes's shoulders slumped and he scooted a little closer to Alina, putting a hand on her shoulders. "Hey, I can still come to visit."

She shook her head and turned to look at him, and Hermes was alarmed to see the pain and desperation in her eyes. "No, don't you understand? I'll be married off to some old man and then you'd find another girl and then we'd drift apart and never meet each other again!"

With a jolt, Hermes finally realized what she meant. She might have not been trying to show it, she might even _know_ it, but she's jealous. Jealous of the woman who might one day replace her.

It surprised Hermes. Usually, it was him going after pretty girls, charming them into his embrace. But for Alina, he hadn't done anything, yet she had still fallen for him.

"It's strange how the Fates are so cruel," Alina continued bitterly. "They just had to make us the same age and-"

She was cut off when Hermes pulled her into a kiss. For a moment, she froze in shock, then relaxed and dissolved into the kiss.

"Alina," Hermes said after they had pulled apart, gasping for breath, "If I ask you, will you marry me?"

Alina stared at him in shock for a second, then burst out laughing, almost toppling into the stream as she doubled over. "Deacon, you idiot. That has _got_ to be the stupidest question you've ever asked!"

Hermes grinned as well, albeit a little confusedly, not sure of what was so funny. When she had finally calmed down, she said, still chuckling a little, "Of course, stupid. I'd say yes."

And at that moment, a lump formed at Hermes throat making him unable to speak. He had been wanting to tell her for a year already, but had never found the courage to. Finally, he forced himself to speak. "Alina? Before I ask you that question, I have to tell you something. I mean, after I tell you, you might not-"

"Just get on with it," Alina interrupted.

"Right," Hermes took a deep breath and cleared his throat nervously. "Right. You see, Alina, I'm actually, um… a-"

"A girl?" Alina suggested innocently, smiling evilly.

"No," Hermes said, a little annoyed, though still amused. "I'm obviously not a girl. What I'm trying to say, Alina, is that… I'm not human. I'm actually a go-"

And at that moment, there was a sudden flash of light, a spinning sensation, and Hermes found himself in the middle of Olympus, still in his fourteen year old form, with the whole Olympian council (excluding himself, of course) glaring down at him.

 **δύο** **ευκαιρίες**

Okay, not everyone was glaring down at him. Zeus, Hera, and Athena were, but Apollo and Aphrodite winking not-so-subtly, making Hermes blush slightly. Artemis is looking at him with a disgusted expression, like, _how-dare-you-trick-another-woman-you-wretched-little-thing_. Dionysus, Demeter, and Hephaestus weren't even looking at him while Poseidon just smiled down at Hermes, who was trying not to cower under his father's piercing glare.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Zeus boomed, causing Hermes to flinch.

"Father," Athena said stiffly, "I doubt he was."

Hermes wondered if agreeing with Athena would make his situation easier or if denying her would. He settled with saying nothing.

"Revealing yourself to a mortal," said Hera, smirking nastily at Hermes. "How foolish. What did she ever do to deserve such honor?"

"You might make her proud," Athena spoke up, "Make her think that she's got something nobody else has- she has seen a god!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Artemis sniffed, "but I believe that she's just going to be another woman who had fallen for your charm and will soon bear another one of your million children around the world?"

Hermes wanted to protest, wanted to say that they were wrong, that Alina wouldn't be like that- Alina is special, but he couldn't make himself say it. Guiltily, he looked back and realized that every single woman he has had an affair with had believed that he will love them forever: and when he was with them, for a moment, he had believed that too, because the other was too charming, so beautiful… but then it was the same for every woman. Then, after they are pregnant with his child, Hermes, ever so busy, leaves them for his work, only to cross another woman in his path… and the cycle restarts.

His stomach dropped even more when he realized that Artemis was correct. He was immortal, she was mortal: she was going to be replaced someday, unless she became a god and Hermes marries her, but that's as unlikely as Zeus being homosexual.

"So, Hermes," Zeus said, his voice still as loud as thunder and as dangerous as lightning, "Is there anything you want to say for yourself?"

Hermes shook his head slowly.

Hera leaned forward eagerly. "For punishment, how about…" The room was silent as everyone waited for the Queen of Olympus's suggestion. "You're grounded."

Everyone blinked.

"You are banned to see her, your precious Alina for… let's say, the next 10 years," Hera's smile stretched even wider at the shock on Hermes's face. "Only 10 years, Hermes. You should be glad I'm feeling generous today."

"10 years?" Hermes spluttered. "Do you know how much that is in mortal years?"

"Of course I do," Hera replied. "But it's no time at all for us, and that's all."

"You are utterly evil," Hermes muttered. Apparently her majesty heard it as well.

Her cold, brown eyes flashed with anger. "20 years, Hermes, if you insist."

"You-" Hermes started, but was out of words to describe how disgustingly evil the Queen of Olympus was. He made a mental note to ask Apollo or Artemis to teach him some insults for her cow-faced majesty next time before he spun around and stormed out of the throne room. A flash of light later and he's back in his mansion.

Letters and packages littered the floor, making it rather hard to walk properly without stepping on anything. But he didn't need to walk around. Hermes just simply grabbed his winged sandals and kerykeion, before flying away.

"Hermes!" one of his snakes on his kerykeion shouted for his attention, "Hades need-,"

"I don't give a crap about what Hades wants, Martha," Hermes grumbled, still flying towards the forest where he had last left Alina.

"Are you going to get us rats?" the other snake asked eagerly.

"Shut up, George," hissed Martha. "Can't you tell that he's in a bad mood?"

"Thank you, Martha," Hermes said. "Do you mind telling Hades that-"

"Hades is in a very bad mood," Martha cut him off. "I don't think it'd be safe to say anything just yet."

"Right," Hermes agreed and was about to touch down next to the forest when something caught his eye. Smoke rising from the distance… Alarmed, Hermes flew towards the direction of the smoke, only to be met by a horrific sight.

A troop of soldiers had surrounded Alina's home. The wood and brick house was on fire, and Alina and her parents were being pushed towards a cart.

 _A slave cart_ , Hermes realized with a jolt. He looked at the soldiers and almost immediately recognized them. Romans.

Suddenly, Alina's father roared, tearing himself out of the grasp of a soldier, spinning around and slamming his large hand at the soldier's head. The soldier, despite wearing a helmet, crumbled to the ground, knocked unconscious. Nicholas grabbed the fallen soldier's sword and started fighting. Two more soldiers fell before another snuck up behind him and smashed his shield at Nicholas's head. Alina and her mom screamed as he fell.

The two women also struggled out of the soldier's hold. They hurried over to Nicholas. Alina's mother was desperately checking his pulse, then wailed when she found none.

"How dare you?!" Alina screamed. "You horrid people!"

"I've heard how much glory Rome has," Alina's mother added, her voice a growl. "I didn't realize that they were evil bastards!"

"Shut up, unworthy woman," a soldier barked, then pulled out his sword when Alina's mother grabbed the sword from her husband's cold hand and lunged. A quick swipe later, however, Alina's mother also fell to the ground, a large, fatal wound in her stomach.

Then the soldiers looked around, only to find that Alina had disappeared. A little distance away, Alina was running away desperately, tears streaming down her face. The soldiers quickly pursued.

Hermes was about to swoop down and grab her or something when he slammed into an invisible wall.

"Ow…" he rubbed his sore nose, then pounded on the barrier angrily, however useless he knew that was.

After a while of watching the soldiers chasing Alina, he had an idea. Hermes couldn't help thinking how stupid he was as he touched down 400 meters away from Alina. At that moment, however, she tripped over a rock.

"There!" the soldiers shouted. One poised his javelin.

"Alina!" Hermes shouted. The mortal girl looked up.

"Deacon!" she screamed, just as the javelin left the soldier's hand.

Hermes's false name was the last word she ever uttered.


	4. Fading Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story, other than Alina and the plot.**

 **IV**

 **Two thousand years later…**

"HERMES!" somebody screamed shrilly, causing the messenger god to look up.

"Oh, hello Aunt Demeter."

"EXPLAIN!" Demeter screeched.

"What?"

"WHY IN TARTARUS IS _YOUR_ SON DATING MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER?"

"Which son?"

"STOLL!"

That got Hermes completely confused. "Whoa, calm down, Demeter. I didn't steal anything from you…"

"She meant your son, Travis Stoll, you idiot," Athena looked up from her book.

"Oh, Travis? He's dating your daughter? Which one?"

At that moment Aphrodite walked past them, singing, "Tratie, Tratie…"

For a moment, Hermes was silent as he slowly put together the puzzle pieces.

"K-Katie?" Hermes spluttered in shock. "My son is dating that abusive-,"

Demeter glared.

"Um… extremely kind-hearted daughter of yours, Demeter?"

"YES!" the goddess of agriculture howled. "THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! My poor, poor daughter…" Demeter broke down sobbing. "I bet she's going to be cheated on very soon…"

"Hey," Hermes protested indignantly, "My son might not be Percy Jackson but at least he still has his dignity. He wouldn't cheat on Katie! Don't jump to conclusions about my son; he's not that bad!"

"Are you sure?" Artemis raised an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, last time when my Hunters were at that Camp, your sons Travis and Connor Stoll dyed all their clothes pink! And not only that, they also drew hearts and wrote love poems all over my cabin walls!"

"Well," Hermes looked slightly nervous, even though he was talking with a twelve-year old (or at least somebody who looks like a twelve-year old), "that was a joke, Artemis. Just a joke."

"Nemesis is raging about her new motorcycle that was supposed to arrive two days ago," Martha suddenly popped up. "And Hecate wants those vials of poison."

"Do you have rats?" George also appeared.

"Hades…" Martha continued, ignoring her fellow reptile, "Oh, never mind. He told that son of his to get a soul for him…"

Hermes sighed. "Right."

"Nyx says she wants a new chariot," Martha added. "And Hephaestus wants some more celestial bronze for his new project, whatever it is. Imperial Gold as well if you could get some."

Hermes slumped down onto his throne, groaning into his hands. "Are you kidding me? Nyx as well? Well, I'm not going to go deliver her chariot. She lives in Tartarus, for the sake of us!"

"Oh yes," Athena looked up. "You said my new helmet would arrive yesterday, Hermes!"

"And I wanted new arrows, remember?" Artemis added.

"My makeup hasn't arrived yet either, Hermes," Aphrodite pouted.

"Nike also wants a new chariot!" Martha called from his pocket.

"I want rats!" George added his share.

"WHERE IS MY NEW SPEAR, HERMES?" Ares bellowed, waving his mace dangerously. Hermes ducked to avoid being impaled.

"Don't blame the messenger," he tried to say. "I'm not the one making the stuff for you guys so technically it's not my fault." But he kept being cut off when someone voiced whatever they have ordered and hasn't received yet.

Finally, Hermes had enough. "SHUT UP!"

The throne room fell silent, but only for a moment.

"Hermes, that is NOT an appropriate thing to say to your aunt!"

"Do you want this sticking through you?"

"Or arrows sticking out of your face: though I think you'd look better that way."

"I DON'T CARE!" Hermes shouted. "JUST… SHUT! Honestly, I've had enough."

He turned to Zeus, who was watching everything with an amused expression. "Father, Lord Zeus, whatever, I want a break."

"A break?"

"Yes, a vacation."

The Lord of the Skies looked thoughtful for a while. "And why is that?"

"Dad," Hermes whined, "the last time I had a break was 756 years ago! Just give me this weekend off!"

"To do what?" Artemis spoke up. "Have 'fun' with more girls?"

"That's none of your business!" Hermes snapped.

"Honestly you have too many children," Athena said. "Think about those women you slept with please."

For a second, a vague, distant memory flashed across his mind: a soft, tinkling laugh, a flash of gold, copper, and bronze, the smell of freshly baked goods. Hermes tried to grasp the memory, but it had already slipped out of his reach.

Just what the heck was that?

"Anyways," Hermes turned back to Zeus, "Break?"

Zeus was silent for a moment before sighing. "Fine. But remember to tell Iris to substitute for you over the weekend; and you better not try to bargain with me for a longer vacation like last time or I'll use you for target practice."

It's strange how Zeus could make a sentence sound threatening while saying it so unenthusiastically.

Hermes grinned triumphantly. "Thanks, Pops!" And then he disappeared in a flash of light.

 **δύο** **ευκαιρίες**

To be truthful, Hermes had actually wanted to do… what Artemis had said, but Athena's comment had made him feel slightly guilty. He thought back to all the women he had slept with… okay, that's too much.

Once again, something flashed at the back of his mind. It was a single eye, constantly changing colors, from purple to blue to brown…

But just like before, Hermes just couldn't put a finger on what that was, so he shrugged it off and landed behind a tree in the form of a fourteen year old.

Hermes blinked in surprise. Usually he wouldn't have chosen to look like a fourteen year old… but whatever. Once again, Hermes let it go. Wouldn't hurt for a slight change, would it?

He strolled down the street, his hands in his pockets, eager to enjoy the freedom while it lasts. He watched as a group of boys around his physical age doing tricks on skateboards. One of them tried to jump with the skateboard off a ledge but ended up stepping too much on the edge of the skateboard and it snapped up at the same time as the boy landed so he basically landed right on his place-where-the-sun-doesn't-shine. As he was writhing on the ground, howling in pain, his friends and Hermes were cracking up, howling with laughter.

When Hermes had finally calmed down a bit, he continued down the street, watching the passing people. However, that was the stupidest thing he had ever done. Why? Because he's not looking in front at the path that he was walking, and he promptly crashed painfully into something.

That something clattered loudly to the ground, followed by a few more clangs it broke apart. With a closer look, Hermes realized that it was a rusty, old, mailbox that looks like it hasn't been touched for centuries.

For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the broken mailbox, when suddenly, the voice of a girl screamed, "HOW DARE YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH EFFORT I'VE PUT INTO TRY TO FIX THAT CURSED THING?! IT TOOK ME TWO YEARS TO MAKE IT STAND UPRIGHT!"

Hermes turned his head so quickly that he twisted his neck.

"Ow…" he muttered, rubbing his neck; but he didn't have to suffer the pain for long. A sudden pain erupted on the back of his head. The last thing that he saw was a flash of gold with bronze and copper weaved into the color and a furious expression before the world turned dark.

 **Please review!**


	5. Act Two

**V**

Hermes wondered if he was drunk last night, because he's currently experiencing a terrible hang-over.

Painfully, he opened his eyes, squinting against the bright light as he slowly propped himself up. Almost immediately he collapsed again, shutting his eyes, because his headache just suddenly flared up and his whole body was stiff and aching.

"Oh gods," he groaned. "Just how much did I drink last night?"

"None," a feminine voice answered him. "Honestly, drinking at the age of fourteen? Are you trying to get arrested?"

"What?" Hermes cracked open an eye to see a girl standing over him, her arms crossed and looking slightly irritated at Hermes for some reason. Her long blonde hair streaked with bronze and copper was tied into a ponytail, which swished behind her as she spun around and got a cup of water, which she held out to Hermes.

"I see you're awake," she said, still holding out the cup of water as she waited for Hermes to sit up. Finally, she got tired of waiting and downed the cup herself.

"Hey," protested the god of messengers, who had just managed to sit up; quite painfully, may I add.

"Don't worry," the girl said, waving the cup in the air, "I'll get you another one." She spun around (smacking Hermes in the face with her hair) and filled the cup which she held out to Hermes.

There was an awkward silence as he slowly sipped the water. Then the girl took a deep breath and said, "Look, whatever-your-name is. Um, well, I'm sorry."

Hermes looked up at her and she averted her gaze. "I'm sorry for uh, knocking you out."

"I shouldn't have done that," she continued, "but I was really mad. You see, this," she gestured around the room, "was my grandparent's house and it's really old, but my family doesn't have anywhere else to go. My dad's always out for work, my mom too, and well, I was just trying to fix this place up but it seems like every time I manage to do something… well, somebody comes it knock it over."

Hermes nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry."

The girl waved it away. "Oh, it's fine. It'll just take me another two years, no biggie."

"I'm feeling guilty right now."

"You better be."

"Well, I'm glad you're awake," the girl held out a hand. "You must be hungry. Do you want something to eat? I baked brownies."

"Yeah, sure," Hermes took her hand and she hauled him to her feet.

"So," Hermes started as the two of them began walking to the kitchen, "how long have I been out?"

"Well," the girl glanced out the window, "considering the fact that it's gloomy and rainy today, it's Monday, which means you've been out for about two days."

It took Hermes a few seconds to process that.

"WHAT?!"

"Whoa, calm down! It's not the end of the world!" the girl exclaimed.

 _Oh, you have no idea._

"Why didn't wake me up?"

"You think I didn't try?" she countered. "I've been trying to wake you since an _hour_ after I knocked you out. You just kept groaning and swatting at me and turning over to go back to your coma! Who am I, your mom?"

Hermes flushed, both with embarrassment and anger, then his face drained completely of color when he saw the rainstorm outside.

"Oh my gods," he muttered, fumbling for his phone, "my dad's going to kill me. He told me-"

"Calm down, I can explain to him!" the girl tried to tell Hermes, who was in frantic. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Hermes," Hermes answered without looking up. Then, he froze.

 _'Wait… did I just tell her my name is Hermes?'_

"I mean, my name is Deacon," Hermes corrected, all the while wondering where that came from.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not stupid, you know. Your first reaction when I answered your question, _Deacon_ , was telling me that your name was Hermes. Then you hesitated and changed it to Deacon; so obviously, you're name is actually Hermes."

Hermes gaped at her. "Right," he finally said, shaking his head at his own stupidity, "my name is Hermes."

The girl rolled her eyes, which kept changing colors: from purple to blue to brown.

"So, want a brownie?" They had arrived at the kitchen and the girl held up a tray of brownies. Hermes took one and began to leave.

"Thanks for the brownie, but I've really got to leave. My dad's going to kill me if I don't get home like, right now."

The girl nodded and showed him out the house.

"Bye," she called as Hermes hurried away. Hermes didn't answer her: he was too busy checking his inbox.

"Gods damn it," he swore at the amount of messages and deliveries he got over the span of two days and five hours. "I'm so dead. If my father doesn't kill me, my siblings will. If my siblings don't kill me, my uncles will. If my uncles don't kill me, my aunts will. If my aunts don't kill me… well, somebody will!"

Then he froze and frowned. "Okay, now I'm talking to myself: the first sign of insanity." He shrugged. "Ah, who cares. Living for a few millennia is bound to make you at least slightly mad. Anyways, I've got to go."

And he headed back to Olympus.

 **δύο** **ευκαιρίες**

Obviously, Zeus wasn't exactly happy with him, and neither is a lot of people, but they let it go when Hermes explained the situation. After convincing them not to kill the girl who knocked him out, he sighed and decided to continue on his job.

It was later in the middle of the night did Hermes realized that he didn't even get the girl's name.

So the next morning he accessed her phone number and called her.

"Hello?"

"Hey, um, this is Hermes. You know, from yesterday?"

"Yeah," the girl sounded amused. "The one whom I knocked out. Sorry, again, by the way."

"No, it's fine," Hermes waved it away. "I'm not dead, that's all that matters to me."

"So… how did you get my number?"

"Well, uh, I have my sources," he answered quickly. "Okay, look, I want to thank you for taking care of me for the past two days, and your brownie was great, so I'm just wondering: what is your name?"

The girl laughed and when she answered, an image suddenly flashed through Hermes's mind: a hand holding out a bag of breads, and Hermes couldn't help wondering how the name could sound so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time.

"My name is Alina Bronte."

 **Please review!**


	6. Lucky Guess

**VI**

For a long time afterwards, Hermes couldn't stop thinking about Alina.

He couldn't help wondering how familiar she had seemed, yet he just couldn't remember when in his few millennia of living had he met her.

Maybe he had crossed over her on the streets when she was younger? But that shouldn't be right, considering how many people he had met. He couldn't possibly remember them all. In fact, he barely remembers all his fellow gods and goddesses, mostly just the huge, twisted family tree that Athena and Hera had forced him to memorize when he just became an Olympian. Maybe he just imagined the familiarity? Possible, since he might've just heard of a name that sounded slightly similar or something.

Finally, he began trying to focus on delivering the letter in his hand.

 _'Why is it,'_ he thought, slightly annoyed when he had finally found the home of Frederick Chase, _'that I have to deliver even the letters of demigods and sometimes even mortals?'_

When he turned around, he saw somebody squinting at him curiously and furrowing her brows as if Hermes had reminded her of something that she couldn't quite remember.

Alina Bronte strolled up to Hermes. "Do you happen to know a boy named Hermes?" she asked. "Because you look really like him, except well," she gestured nervously, "the Hermes I know is fourteen, not… an adult."

Hermes blinked in surprise. "Um… a boy named Hermes? No, I'm sorry, I don't know anybody like that…"

"Oh," Alina looked disappointed. "I thought you might be his cousin or maybe even brother or something."

"Well," Hermes forced a grin onto his face, "he must be good looking for him to look like me, but obviously, he's not as hot. Oh!" Hermes pretended to look surprised, scooted closer to her and whispered beside her ear, "Are you asking about him because you have a crush on him?"

However, her reaction wasn't one that he had expected. She wasn't flustered or embarrassed by his question. She merely glared up at him, her eye color changing to bright green that flashed in the sunlight. For a few long seconds, she remained like that, the hostile expression never leaving. Then, she flipped her hair, pointed her nose into the air, and said, "I'd kill myself if I ever fall for him. And anyways, I've only met him once. I'm just wondering how he's doing. I wish he has concussion!"

Hermes mentally flinched. _'That girl could be harsh when she wants too…'_

Alina huffed and stalked away, her golden hair, braided with bronze and copper, swishing behind her.

When she had walked away, Hermes quickly ran behind a tree and changed into a fourteen year old, all the while praying that no one had seen. When he emerged from behind the tree, he found Alina staring at the place where he had been just a second ago. Then, she saw him, and her eyes widened (if possible) even more.

"Hey Alina," he strolled up to her, who's still looking like she's seen a ghost. Hermes was growing nervous. What if…

"You look just like him," Alina said, her eyes never leaving the spot in front of Frederick Chase's mailbox where Hermes had stood. "That man who was delivering a message. I… I left, but when I turned back, he had disappeared. Then you… you walked out from behind that tree…" she turned slowly to look at Hermes. Her gaze was confused, shocked, and horrified, but Hermes couldn't understand why she seems so surprised.

For a moment, Alina just stared into Hermes's sky blue eyes, then her gaze averted and she looked up over. "You have the same bag…" she muttered, more to herself than to him. She grabbed the bag and tore it open, despite Hermes's protests. Letters filled the bag to its maximum, and when she saw all the letters, she froze.

"Letters…" she murmured, her voice slightly shaky. She looked up, thrusting the bag back into his hands. "Who are you?" she demanded quite suddenly, backing away slowly. Then she shook her head. "No… _what_ are you?"

"Alina-," Hermes began, but she cut him off almost immediately.

"No, don't. Don't tell me. I don't want to know." Then she spun around and ran away, never looking back.

 **δύο** **ευκαιρίες**

A few weeks later, when summer was almost here, he saw her again. He was merely passing when he heard a shout. Looking up from the where he had been studying an address on an envelope, he saw Alina climbing down from a tree and running towards him.

Ever since the incident in front of Frederick Chase's house, whenever Hermes was in a 30 mile range around Alina's house, he would stay in the form of a fourteen year old, just in case.

"Hello Hermes," she said when she got to him. She held out the tray of brownies. "I'm really sorry for what happened that time while I was walking back from school. It's just…" she trailed off uncertainly and looked away.

Hermes waved dismissively. "Oh, that's fine. Let's just forgive and forget, 'kay?"

Alina's lips twitched into a small smile. "Right."

"Right," Hermes repeated.

"Okay…" she trailed off uncertainly, then took a deep breath and frowned at him, "Are you going to take a brownie or what?"

"Huh?"

"I take that as a 'no'." Then she spun around and stalked back into her house, the heavenly tray of brownies leaving with her.

"Why didn't I take one?" Hermes wondered to himself before hurrying after her.

When they got into the house, Alina set the tray of brownies on the dining table and turned to Hermes, frowning disapprovingly. "When did I invite you into my house?"

"I invited myself into this house," he answered.

Alina blew him a raspberry before running out. Suddenly, a flash of an image crossed his mind: _a white chiton flowing out in the wind as a faraway silhouette ran into the shadows of a large forest…_

He blinked before following her out where he found Alina climbing up a tree with the agility of a gymnast. When she saw Hermes looking up at her, she smirked and beckoned towards him. "Come on!"

Grabbing the lowest branch, Hermes hauled himself up, grumbling mentally. _'I could just transport myself up there…'_

But for the sake of a mortal girl, he didn't.

His mind wandered as he continued climbing slowly, towards the top of the tree where Alina perched. Suddenly, a shout jerked him out of his thoughts. "Hermes, don't step there!"

There was a loud crack as the branch Hermes was stepping on broke, leaving him dangling in midair. Then, to his horror, his fingers slipped and he tumbled not-so-gracefully towards the ground.

Out of instinct, Hermes caught himself in midair. Hovering two and a half meters from the ground, he slowly began lowering himself to the ground. It was until he touched down did a wave of horror wash through him. When he looked up, he was met by a similar horrorstruck expression.

"What are you?" Alina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Alina-," Hermes was suddenly reminded of the incident a few weeks ago.

"No, don't," Alina clambered down from the tree and stood a few feet away from him, looking at him like he was a piece of dirt she had found on her pillow or toothbrush, "don't explain. You've been keeping some kind of strange secret from me, haven't you? Honestly, what are you? A magician? An alien? Oh, I don't know; a _god_?"

Hermes's breath hitched. _Gods, she's so close…_

"You were that man with the letters, weren't you?" Alina continued her rant. Then, she laughed. "Ironic. Hermes- the Greek god of messengers- and there you were, one second a twenty year old man, then _poof_ , a fourteen year old boy with a bag of letters! Answer me, Hermes, are you…" she trailed off.

But Hermes didn't answer her. In fact, he didn't answer her in a very long time. Since the moment Alina had guessed that he was a god, images, blurred and flying past too fast to be identifiable began swirling through his mind, flashing before his eyes. Images, of things that he had forgotten; images of the past.


	7. Remembrance

**To _I'maUnitato_ : ****:) Thank you! As for Alina... I'm not sure, actually. This idea basically just popped into my head and I just wrote it down, so it's not perfectly planned. I guess Alina would just be a reincarnation. And which actress... I'm sorry, I don't really understand your question. If you mean which celebrity I based her off, or somebody who's extremely like her, then... I don't know. I kind of just based her off myself, like how I would react if I was in that situation... kind of...**

 **Anyways, on with the chapter!**

 **VI**

Maybe the Fates hate him. Or maybe they love him.

Hermes couldn't decide which.

He hadn't realized that he was currently staring into space with Alina shaking him, yelling in his ear, even slapping him, trying to get him out of his daze. Nothing she did was working.

The images continued flying past, fast, maybe even faster than before, but now, somehow, Hermes was able to see every single tiny detail on every single image.

 **…**

 _It was a nice spring day, the sky blue and clear of any clouds, Apollo's bright sun chariot casting a warm light that lured the newly grown grass to poke farther out of the soil… a young girl around the age of twelve wobbling as she tried to carry a heavy bucket filled with cold water from the well._

 _This girl was different… Her hair was like gold, bronze, and fire… eyes always changing colors, from purple to blue to brown._

 _"Do you need help?"_

 _"Who are you?"_

 ** _…_**

 _"Is your mother sick?"_

 _"Why should I tell you? You're a stranger."_

 _"Well, I told you my name, so I'm no longer a stranger."_

 ** _…_**

 _"Have you prayed to the gods?"_

 _"Of course I have! Every single one of them, even Aphrodite, though I'm not sure how she could help with my mother getting better."_

 ** _…_**

 _"… my name is Alina. Alina Bronte."_

 ** _…_**

 _"Is your house a bakery?"_

 _"No. I just like to bake."_

 ** _…_**

 _"So, young Deacon, when are you going to marry my daughter?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"Father! It's not going to happen. We're the same age. When I turn fourteen, I'll be married off to some thirty year old man, wouldn't I?"_

 ** _…_**

 _"Come on!" … her white chiton flowing out behind her…_

 _… a small stream cutting through it, flowers banking the clear water._

 _"Deacon, I'm fourteen."_

 _"Soon I'm going to be married off, Deacon… And then… I might never be able to see you again."_

 _"Hey, I can still come to visit."_

 _"No, don't you understand? I'll be married off to some old man and then you'd find another girl and then we'd drift apart and never meet each other again!"_

 _… she was jealous. Jealous of the woman who might one day replace her._

 ** _…_**

 _"It's strange how the Fates are so cruel. They just had to make us the same age and-"_

 _… a kiss._

 ** _…_**

 _"If I ask you, will you marry me?"_

 _"… I'd say yes."_

 _"I'm not human. I'm actually a go-"_

 ** _…_**

 _"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"_

 _"Revealing yourself to a mortal. How foolish. What did she ever do to deserve such honor?"_

 _"You might make her proud. Make her think that she's got something nobody else has- she has seen a god!"_

 _"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that she's just going to be another woman who had fallen for your charm and will soon bear another one of your million children around the world?"_

 _"… the next 10 years"_

 ** _…_**

 _"20 years…"_

 ** _…_**

 _… Romans._

 _"Alina!"_

 _"Deacon!"_

 **δύο** **ευκαιρίες**

When Hermes opened his eyes, the first thing he saw a gold. Then, he saw that the bronze and copper was weaved into the gold

"You're awake," as soft voice whispered, sounding relieved.

"Where…?" Hermes asked as he saw up slowly, squinting around the bright room.

Somebody pressed a cup of water to his lips and he gulped it down gratefully, not realizing before just then that his throat was parched dry.

Slowly, his eyes adjusted and he found himself in a small but comfortable room. The walls were painted gold, and it seems to be glowing as the afternoon sun shone onto the metallic-colored paint. All the furniture were wood and was as simple as it could be. The room was tidy; the only thing out of place was a backpack that had been careless thrown onto the desk.

"You're in my room," Alina said when she caught him looking around.

"Oh. It's… nice."

"Of course it is!" the mortal girl smirked before slumping down onto her bed beside Hermes, the smile slipping off her face.

"Care to tell me what exactly had happened to you?"

Hermes shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's just… I think I remembered something. From a really, really long time ago. I had forgotten it apparently, and now that I remembered it, I realized how important it was… is," he corrected.

"Care to tell me what that is?"

Hermes turned his head and looked at Alina, who glanced back up at him. Her eyes had turned as golden as her hair.

"You died," Hermed said the first thing that slipped into his mind.

Alina furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"That time you were twelve…" Hermes began slowly. "I found you carrying a bucket of water home because your mother had a high fever. But the bucket was heavy, so I went to help you. From then on, we became friends."

He paused for a second. When Alina didn't seem to be in a hurry to say anything, he continued, "We met many times over the years, until you were fourteen. You were afraid you are going to be married off and we'll never see each other again…" Hermes voice cracked slightly. "We never saw each other again. A Roman killed you and your parents. I had thought that you were gone. Then one day, suddenly, you were there, alive, in front of me… But I didn't remember you."

"You don't remember me," Alina repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

"I _didn't_ ," Hermes corrected. "Now I do." He turned to her and smiled; not mischievously, not tiredly or distractedly, but a small, gentle, fond smile.

"You are Alina Bronte," he said, cupping her cheek with one hand and gently sliding his thumb over her high cheekbone. Her skin was as soft as ever, and to Hermes, she had never been so beautiful. "You are the girl who had died uttering my name, the one I had mourned for for years; the one I had worked extra hard and extra quickly to get to."

 **δύο ευκαιρίες**

Alina gazed back into Hermes's sky blue eyes, feeling skeleton butterflies flutter around in her stomach, taking her breath away. Something tugged in the back of her mind and a single flash of image escaped: a boy of twelve years old with elfish features, curly salt-and-pepper hair, and beautiful sky blue eyes sauntering up to her.

 _'Do you need help?'_ he had asked, holding out a hand.

 _'For what?'_ Alina wondered. _'Who is he? What's happening?'_

Then the image shifted and now, she's so close to those stunning blue eyes. So close she could almost touch him…

 _'…will you marry me?'_ he asked softly, his eyes never leaving hers.

But suddenly, Alina's mind seems to fog. Mist drifted in, blurring the images, slurring her thoughts. Only one word, one name went through her mind before everything clouded over: _Hermes._

 **δύο** **ευκαιρίες**

Hermes watched as Alina's multicolored eyes clouded over, becoming unfocused. He shook her slightly, wondering what has gotten to her when her eyes suddenly cleared and once again, they were staring at each other.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, to Hermes's surprise, Alina burst out laughing.

"What are you talking about, Hermes?" she asked between fits of giggles. "Died? If you haven't noticed, I'm perfectly alive. See, you can touch me!" she poked his cheek for extra effect. "And why would you mourn for me? We only met about a month or two ago! Seriously, Hermes." Then she continued laughing her head off.

As for Hermes, he was utterly confused. One second they were all fine and the next, Alina was basically mocking every word he had said before her eyes had glazed over.

 _'It's the Mist,'_ he realized. _'She could see through the Mist, but not completely. She could fight it, but only for a short period of time.'_

Then, he remembered the words he had said to her, and flushed red. A sudden anger flared in him.

"Well, if you want to continue mocking me, mock it to yourself," he snapped at Alina, who was still a giggling wreck on the floor. Hermes doesn't even know what's so funny. Then he hopped off her bed and stormed out her house.

After he had stomped away some distance, his anger calmed as quickly as it had came and almost immediately, he felt guilty. Alina was basically the victim, being constantly manipulated around by the Mist. It wasn't her fault. Maybe he could come back later in the week to make up with her or at least apologize. Anything to escape that awful, guilty feeling that's squeezing his chest.

Sighing, Hermes flew back to Olympus.

What he didn't know was that they wouldn't be seeing each other at the end of the week. Nor will they meet at the end of the month. In fact, they didn't even meet up at the end of the _year_.

Because when Hermes checked three days later at the end of the week, nobody occupied the small house. The house was emptier than ever.

Alina had disappeared.

 **Thank you for everybody who reviewed! And if you've got anything to say, send me a review as well!**


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 **Two years later…**

Grumbling and complaining to himself, Hermes trudged through New York, trying to keep his letters dry. Apparently Zeus isn't in a very good mood, and so it had been pouring since morning.

"Can't he stop the rain for a while just to let my job be easier? I thought he wanted those lightning bolts ASAP!" Hermes muttered, growling in annoyance when a large drop of rainwater splattered onto the letter in his hand, smudging the name of the receiver.

Thunder boomed above.

"Well, I'll take that as a no." Hermes glared up at the stormy skies, then returned to trying to find where he's supposed to send this letter.

He squinted at the name. "Sa… Jackson. What the heck?"

He continued trudging through the mud and puddles, trying to keep his legs and pants as clean mud and water as he could. He wasn't doing a very good job.

Then suddenly, he bumped into something. No, some _one_.

The someone yelped and stumbled back, slipping on a large puddle and landing splash in the middle of another. The hood of her dark red raincoat slipped from her head, and she was soaked in seconds.

"I'm sorry," Hermes apologized and held out a hand to the girl.

She was pretty, about the age of sixteen. Her wet hair was a light brown with darker streaks and Hermes guessed that when it was dry, it's most likely blonde or gold. Her eyes, however, were the most mesmerizing. It constantly changed colors, from purple to blue to brown…

Hermes froze, and so did the girl.

Unconsciously Hermes had changed his physical appearance into the age of sixteen, just like the girl.

The umbrella slipped from his hand, and soon, he was drenched as well.

"Hermes," the girl breathed and to Hermes, nobody's voice had ever been more beautiful or soft.

To Hermes, nobody's name had ever been so elegant and musical in his ears.

"Alina…"

 **~The End~**

 **Yes, it's the end. No, there will not be a sequel. I just like finishing stories this way: mysterious, leaved the readers imagining the ending themselves. Well, what do you think? How do you imagine this story to end?**

 **I know the Epilogue was kind of short but I was kind of eager to get this out of the way.**

 **Thank you for everyone who had favorited, followed, or reviewed this story! Thank you for everyone's support!**

 **-shadowluminus**


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